World Mental Health Day (Oct 10)

Come October 10 each year medical authorities get the opportunity to highlight the importance of occupational mental health

The theme for this year’s celebrations to mark ‘World Mental Health Day’ is applicable for even the average office worker who is in sound mental condition. This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day (Celebrated on October 10) is ‘Mental Health at work’. Over the years we have seen people overloaded with work, falling prey to stress; a mental condition if unattended to would lead to severe consequences. 

Sri Lanka, being a country where most offices and institutes are understaffed, sees people being overworked and stressed out. Pradeep Guneratne, an occupational therapist, underscores the importance of employees being aware of their stress levels at work. “Work place mental health is so important. If the right support is there for workers at their work places the productivity of the company will be high and profits will soar. When the right support to maintain mental health is available, the return on investment is four times, according to health economists,” said Guneratne who has work experience both here and abroad. 

“Work place mental health is so important. If the right support is there for workers at their work places the productivity of the company will be high and profits will soar. When the right support to maintain mental health is available, the return on investment is four times, according to health economists”- Pradeep Guneratne, Occupational Therapist

Some of the therapies that ensure mental health can be obtained at zero cost. According to Guneratne talking to a friend is an ideal stress buster. “This is why office colleagues must take note that giving time to a friend in need, just to have a conversation, is so vital in promoting and maintaining mental health,” said Guneratne who is a visiting lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya. 

Ridiculed at work

Mentally challenged people are often ridiculed at work and even bullied. But people who are stressed out must also take note that they have to go through some form of rehabilitation or treatment process before they win back their status as ‘being in a sound mentality to work’. Dr. Jayan Mendis, Head and Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry Kothalwela Defence University Ratmalana, highlights the fact that people must be aware of the subject called ‘Occupational Mental Health’. “When mental stress issues are addressed properly workers can be kept happy and satisfied. When mental health is sound it reduces absenteeism. If you address this issue properly, the outcome would be more. But there are rules regulations to be observed when applying the theories specified in occupational mental health in dealing with stress issues in office. Much help is needed on this issue because there a lot of people with mental health issues and among them are people with less intelligence,” said Dr. Mendis who is also the founder director of the Department of Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). 

“I am a staunch Christian and believe I was touched by the Holy Spirit during my hardest times. But I was also convinced beyond doubt that I had to religiously follow the prescription of the doctor and take my medicine. I left nothing to chance during my rehabilitation process”- Dilani de Silva, Former patient/ Soft Toys Designer

According to Dr. Mendis, work place stress and bullying can destroy the image of a person. He also underscored the need to address the issue of sexual violence in office. “When a parent is undergoing stress in office steps must be taken to support the child’s environment,” affirmed Dr. Mendis. 

Sunil Nanayakkara, the Operations Director of Consumer Action Network Mental Health Lanka (CANMH), said that women are more impacted than men in the office environment when overcome by stress issues. “Workers, cannot achieve targets if they are mentally handicapped. Such mental conditions in workers lead to a drop in production. Mentally satisfaction must be guaranteed at work,” explained Nanayakkara. 

“But there are rules regulations to be observed when applying the theories specified in occupational mental health in dealing with stress issues in office. Much help is needed on this issue because there a lot of people with mental health issues and among them are people with less intelligence”- Dr. Jayan Mendis, Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry  Department of Psychiatry Kothalwela Defence University Ratmalana

According to Nanayakkara, the representatives of CANMH had an opportunity to meet newly elected Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya on Monday (October 7); the meeting held with the prime minister was fuelled by the need of CANMH officials to spread the world on occupational mental health and to keep the upcoming World Mental Health Day in the news. This meeting was held at the President’s Office in Colombo. 

After the rehabilitation process and a patient has recovered sufficiently, the time comes for the individual to return to society. One such person who went through the mill, got treated and has returned to the society is Dilani de Silva. She went through a failed marriage and mounting pressure forced her to take treatment at the NIMH. When the medical staff worked on her and eventually provided her with the right treatment and enough opportunities to work with art, Dilani saw light at the end of a dark tunnel. Today she is down to just one tablet a day and is an inspiration to all women who have been mentally challenged. 

Dilani is a soft toys designer and gets invitations to do demonstrations and coach mentally challenged individuals who need to be pulled out of the dark. At these workshops she uses art as a therapy to calm disturbed minds. At present she does workshops for mentally challenged individuals at Kothalawela Defence University apart from functioning as a Director of CANMH. She is also a Justice of Peace. 

“Workers, cannot achieve targets if they are mentally handicapped. Such mental conditions in workers lead to a drop in production. Mentally satisfaction must be guaranteed at work,”- Sunil Nanayakkara, Operations Director at Consumer Action Network Mental Health Lanka

“I am a staunch Christian and believe I was touched by the Holy Spirit during my hardest times. But I was also convinced beyond doubt that I had to religiously follow the prescription of the doctor and take my medicine. I left nothing to chance during my rehabilitation process,” said Dilani.  Now aged 66, she is retired, but people in her community want her to be engaged in certain activities because they believe she is the ideal person for these types of tasks. In 2023 she penned her life story in a book titled ‘From innocence: The journey of a betrayed woman’. She considers the book as a feather in her cap.  

As the hours tick away till the time arrives to mark ‘World Mental Health Day’, Dilani is excited like a kid who has got a new toy. It’s this spark in her to breathe the fresh air of the next day and see what opportunity presents that keeps her going. “If I don’t work, I’ll fall ill again,” said Dilani.